CT Wedding Photographer Val Nanovsky

Hello my friends,

I just wanted to touch base with you with a couple of quick updates from the Valdo-Bloggo-Rama world. A lot has been going on lately.  As the wedding season is fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about some really cool ideas for my photography. Can’t wait to start shooting! Online at least a dozen new blog posts are in the works. I’ve got some great new photos to share with you – stay tuned.

In the mean time, another exciting new thing around me is the new customer testimonial video I launched in the “ABOUT” section on the main web site a few days ago.  Check it out over here:

Cheers & see you around,

Val

Take a moment from your busy daily routine, step back and look around. Climb a mountain, enjoy the fresh air, smell the roses, count the stars in the sky, take a walk in the woods…  exhilarating, isn’t it?  This is what Mother Nature has given us and we are absolutely responsible to preserve it for the sake of our own kids and the future generations. A wedding is a beginning of two people’s lives together, carrying a strong symbolic meaning. It is the perfect moment to demonstrate our concern and dedication to our planet’s future.

…This is how I started thinking about turning my business green. Some of the main points of my philosophy were already discussed in What Makes me a Green Wedding Photographer, part 1. What follows up next is a snapshot of the rest of it.

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To claim you are green can be a tricky statement. The terms “green” and “eco” are so loosely used nowadays that  almost anyone wants to sell you something with the “green” and “eco” label. There are no defined rules as to what exactly “green”, “eco-friendly”, “earth-friendly” or “sustainable” mean. And yet, since green has evolved into a hot new trend, people are showing explosive interest in this area without really having any second thoughts about what really makes a particular vendor “green”.

I have chosen to become a green wedding photographer because of one simple reason: my heart is there. I love Nature, I treasure it deep down in my heart and I would give anything to protect it so that the generations after me would have the same opportunity to experience the best it has to offer. Being born on the other side of the Atlantic and having had the chance to travel quite a bit, I’ve seen such unworldly beauty few people have ever witnessed. My CT wedding photography business is closely tied with that because it gives me the opportunity to combine the best of the two worlds – landscape photography, and on the other hand, modern wedding photography – into one finished product touching the most delicate parts in people’s hearts. (continue reading…)

New Year resolutions are nice things.  You get out of your comfort level – well, at least for a while – and, among other things, start thinking about some exciting initiatives. This year, in addition to growing and promoting Valdorama GREEN, I decided to do certain The Day After sessions with the idea to highlight the essence of each season. Weddings can be beautiful at any time, especially when your photography is taken outdoors.

The following is the very first series of images of this winter season I took with Rali last week at Valley Falls Park in Vernon CT. It was freezing, but fun – that was part of the experience – and it was absolutely beautiful.

On to the photos…

More is on the way – stay tuned.

Val

AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH TWO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Suspects: 

WHERE DO THE NAMES “TRASH THE DRESS” AND “DROWN THE GOWN” COME FROM?

Peter’s take

Val: “Trash the Dress” was coined several years ago by Las Vegas wedding photographer John Michael Cooper. When I heard about it and saw the images, I immediately got hooked. It was the hot new thing on the market everybody was talking about.

Later on, having interacted with a number of brides I realized that as exciting and different as these sessions are, not everybody was really that open to destroying their dress. Sure, people comment on the Trash the Dress (TTD) images and love many of them, but having a TTD session themselves… may be not.

That was roughly the time I had started thinking about Valdorama GREEN as a brand, concept and main creative direction in my photography. Trashing the dress implied something destructive my photography didn’t really tie well with. So I decided to add my own twist to everything and give my outdoor green sessions a more appropriate name, one like “The Day After”, or simply “Valdorama GREEN”. In some cases I would call them “Drown the Gown” – as long as brides are comfortable getting wet and what we do does not pose any danger to them or the dress.

After all, it’s just a name. Whatever creative direction we take at these sessions is completely up to my couples and me. What ultimately counts is the fun factor, the environment, the photos and how happy my clients are.

WHY “TRASH THE DRESS” / “THE DAY AFTER”?

Val: There is absolutely nothing like this session. Really. If you don’t get one, you haven’t gotten the essence out of what I do.  As a wedding photographer, this is what I am known for.

The idea behind it is that during a wedding there is this crazy schedule everybody is following and people are so stressed out that they sometimes have a hard time relaxing in front of the camera. Don’t get me wrong; I still shoot wonderful pictures at weddings.

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Hi folks,

The Green Bride Guide and Whole Foods in Glastonbury are organizing a green wedding event this Saturday, 01/16, from 11AM to 1PM.   There will be vendors from all kinds of the green wedding industry and the place will turn into a one-stop shop for the eco-conscious bride. I have many new exciting products and services to offer and this is your chance to see me, take a look at what I do, and chat with me in an informal setting. I can’t wait!

See you there,

Val

2009 was a great year for me.  I had some unique opportunities – both in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and on the other side of the Atlantic – thanks to all my brides who  gave me the chance to photograph their most important day. It’s been such an honor – a little piece of my heart was left at each of your weddings.

As a CT wedding photographer I try to be unique – in a number of ways. But one thing that clearly sets me apart from all other CT wedding photographers is the environmental cause I strongly support.  My clients have been raving about my green sessions.  As a result Valdorama GREEN is set to grow stronger and gain further popularity in 2010 – and I am super excited about that. In addition, I have other awesome product & service updates in the works, so be sure to keep an eye on this blog (you can subscribe for new posts – look in the upper right section on this page).

Looking back through 2009, I tried to make a rough selection of some of my favorite images. I never thought this could be such a challenging task – there were so many photos I absolutely LOVE.  I chose a mix of shots that show a little bit of everything – the out of this world bridal beauty, the breathtaking environment, the unforgettable emotions, the little details, the amazing decor, the dances,  the guests – the list goes on and on. I named these The 2009 GOLD COLLECTION. Many of them will be displayed on the main web site, in Valdorama albums and video materials, and will accompany me at trade shows, public appearances, photo workshops. Congratulations to all of you whose photos I selected – you’ve been absolutely FANTASTIC. Cheers!

Green Wedding Photography / Valdorama Green GOLD COLLECTION

Wedding Photography GOLD COLLECTION 1

Wedding Photography GOLD COLLECTION 2

See you around,

Val